Write it. Sing it. Make it yours
Adapt Olga Anikina’s Russian lyric into singable English. Keep her images, word meanings, expressions and structure. No Russian needed. Write, sing or collaborate.
Russian recording · Our English version
Song story · Make a recording · Full working text
Literal English and idiom notes are working materials, not finished lyrics.
The song’s story
A mother's summer lullaby becomes a fragile shelter against danger, grief and frightening images.
RIGLI's recording notes link Anikina's independent Russian work (2017) to Rikle Glezer's Vilna Ghetto song S'iz geven a zumertog.
Those notes identify the melody of Papirosn and explain that Anikina's words are not a literal translation.
Start from Olga’s Russian
Her Russian text is our starting point. Olga reimagines earlier songs while keeping their spirit.
Keep her images, word meanings, expressions and structure. Make the English sing without replacing her story.
Producer-confirmed: exclusive rights to these Russian lyrics. Rights to underlying music and recordings are separate.
Russian → literal English
Meaning to work from, not words to sing.
All 24 written lines from the cited Russian source text. English explains meaning; it is not a singable adaptation.
| Russian source | Literal English meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 Это было летним днём | It happened on a summer day |
| 2 Июль на всей земле | July across the whole earth |
| 3 И лучи плескались в нём | And rays of light splashed in it |
| 4 Как рыба в хрустале | Like a fish in crystal |
| 5 Шли минуты незаметно | The minutes passed unnoticed |
| 6 Лёгкий пух летел по ветру | Light fluff drifted on the wind |
| 7 И на прядях маминых белел | And showed white on mother's strands of hair |
| 8 Спи малыш закрой глаза | Sleep, little one, close your eyes |
| 9 Ты должен крепко спать | You must sleep soundly |
| 10 Слишком ярко светит солнца | Too brightly shines the sun's |
| 11 Жёлтая печать | Yellow seal |
| 12 Засыпай скорей сыночек | Fall asleep quickly, my little son |
| 13 За рекою гром грохочет | Thunder rumbles beyond the river |
| 14 А у нас в округе тишь да гладь | But here around us everything is quiet and calm |
| 15 Такая тишь что плачет каждый камень | Such stillness that every stone is weeping |
| 16 Не смотри закрой глаза руками | Do not look; cover your eyes with your hands |
| 17 Крик земля чужие лица | A cry, the earth, unfamiliar faces |
| 18 Просто сон пока он снится | Only a dream, while it is being dreamed |
| 19 Мама будет рядышком с тобой | Mama will be right beside you |
| 20 Такая тишь что слышно каждый шорох | Such stillness that every rustle can be heard |
| 21 Ветерок качается на шторах | A little breeze sways on the curtains |
| 22 Погоди случится чудо | Wait, a miracle will happen |
| 23 Мы куда-нибудь отсюда | We will go somewhere away from here |
| 24 Уплывём на лодке голубой | We will sail away in a light-blue boat |
Idioms & meaning
Слишком ярко светит солнца / Жёлтая печать
Literal: The sun's yellow seal shines too brightly.
The noun phrase continues across the line break: the yellow seal belongs to the sun. Preserve the unsettling image without silently replacing it with a yellow badge or another historical symbol.
А у нас в округе тишь да гладь
Literal: But here around us everything is quiet and calm.
The familiar expression for perfect calm is disturbed by what follows: even the stones seem to weep. The reassurance should not erase the danger.
Просто сон пока он снится
Literal: Only a dream, while it is being dreamed.
These are protective, ambiguous words in a frightening scene. Do not assert that the events are merely imaginary or that the child has escaped them.
Уплывём на лодке голубой
Literal: We will sail away in a light-blue boat.
A promise or imagined escape, not evidence of an actual boat journey. Keep the small, intimate image and its uncertainty.
Your writing brief
Keep the child's viewpoint: reassuring words, disturbing images.
The recording notes connect the earlier song to the Vilna Ghetto and Ponar. Do not turn Anikina's imagery into invented events.
Keep the promised escape uncertain. Review the history and permissions.
Improve our English
We want stronger English lyrics. Improve this draft, or write a fresh adaptation from the Russian.
Accepted draft improvements: $100–150. Independent Russian-source adaptations: $200/$100. No payment for rejected lyrics.
Your voice. Any lineup
Video or audio only. Solo, duet, band or choir. Write, sing, produce or collaborate; use your voice, Suno or other permitted tools.
Your voice and stage presence can shine even if the lyric needs work. Clear song, backing-track and tool permissions before posting.
Recording links: YouTube, Spotify or YouTube Music only. No files or other platforms.
Let us hear what you can do
Strong, original versions can be featured on JewishHit.com and possibly RIGLI’s music channel, with credit and permission.
Even if we do not accept your lyric, we may invite you to record our songs for a separately agreed fee. This is not an automatic payment for submitting.
Show us your strengths
Creative choices are partly subjective. Our selection is not an objective ranking of your talent.
Show us what you do best. A distinctive voice, an imaginative lyric or a compelling performance can start a conversation about collaboration.
Credits & sources
- Russian text
- Olga Anikina
- Producer
- Walter J. Kin
- Russian recording
- Elechka, voice and guitar.
Working materials, not a blanket recording license. Agree rights separately.